Asela Sampath, the Chairman of the Consumer Rights Protection Organization, was abducted by a group of persons who had come to his house in a van on the night of 2021-06-26.
Following the abduction, his daughter had posted a video on social media. It was later revealed that Asela Sampath had been taken away by the CID. It was regarding a complaint received against him.
Asela Sampath, who was produced in court after his arrest, was released on bail the next day. He had been taken into police custody in this manner several times before. He was also arrested by the police on 20-11-01-13 and was remanded at that time.
He had many experiences in police custody as well as in prison. He said in general:
I was arrested on 04-13 and remanded till 04-14. I was produced before the court for two cases and remanded till 04-19.
I was brought to the Colombo Magazine Prison. Upon entering, he spoke in a language that a citizen of this country could never address.
I was taken to the Pallansena camp at around 7.30 pm on the same day for quarantine. When you enter there, they say ‘take off your clothes’.
Neither a doctor nor a public health inspector checks when your clothes are taken off, Two convicted, dressed in white. They physically abused and tortured me.
Then I was put in a 20×10 foot cage. There are about 65 in it. There is only one tank for bathing. One toilet. All the needs have to be met while people are watching. There is no sleeping mat. Some are screaming and vomiting without heroin. I was sent to a lonely hell.
Serve a little coconut sambol with a small piece of bread. There are about 10 more people waiting for the loaf of bread to be tossed around. Nothing again until 1.00pm. Dinner will be served at 1.00 pm and dinner will be served again at 4.00 pm. ‘Prisoners are human beings’, but prison is a living hell.
I do not know if I will be granted bail by the Court on the 19th. I was severely beaten by a prison officer on the morning of the 20th. When the night watchmen return to count, he is beaten with a stick in his hand.
I was able to get a call to home on the 22nd. Until then the people at home do not know where I am. It was only after they told me, I knew that I had been granted bail.
Remarks by Attorney-at-Law Senaka Perera, Chairman of the Committee to Protect the Rights of Prisoners,
A prisoner is a person who commits an offense, who is involved in a case, or who is convicted by a court of law.
The law states that remand is never considered as a punishment. But in view of the things that are happening today, is that also a punishment? The question arises.
I think the prison system in Sri Lanka needs to be overhauled on a large scale. There has been a lot of torture in prisons since addressing prisoners. This happens both physically and mentally.
The United Nations has a minimum standard for the treatment of prisoners. It states that only one prisoner can be kept in one cell. It also mentions the facilities that should be provided to them. But the problem with prisons in Sri Lanka is the food they eat and the hygiene of the female inmates.
While being remanded, the court issues a permit to detain the suspect. They have to produce the suspect in court again on the due date. Also, the suspect should be released after receiving bail and informing the court in writing. But even if bail is granted, there is a big delay in releasing them. Those who died in the Mahara incident that day were not released on bail in such manner .
In Sri Lankan prisons, more prisoners are being held than rehabilitated. So we must immediately go where we need to work with international prison standards.